Turkey has lifted a block on social media sites in the country after Twitter, Facebook and YouTube agreed to remove chilling images of a prosecutor being held at gunpoint by left wing extremists.

A Turkish court imposed the blocks yesterday because photographs of the deadly siege in which Mehmet Selim Kiraz was killed were being widely shared on social media.

The 46-year-old Turkish prosecutor died in hospital when two members of the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) stormed a courthouse and took him hostage - uploading the photographs of Kiraz with a gun pointed at his head to social media in the process.

Turkey initially demanded domestic newspapers stop running the 'terrorist propaganda' images, before going on to block access to Twitter, Facebook and YouTube yesterday when requests to remove the photographs were ignored.

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Chilling: Mehmet Selim Kiraz died after two members of the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front stormed a courthouse in Istanbul and took him hostage - uploading these photographs of Kiraz with a gun pointed at his head to social media in the process

Shocking: A Turkish court had imposed the blocks because photographs of the deadly siege were being shared on social media and 'deeply upset' the wife and children of Mehmet Selim Kiraz.

Access to Twitter, Facebook and YouTube was re-established after the social media sites agreed to remove photographs of the deadly siege, which Turkey has branded 'anti-government propaganda'.

However Turkey has since threatened to block access to Google unless images of the siege are removed from its search function.

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The journalists group, Turkish Press Council, said that while it understood the authorities concerns over the publication of the prosecutors' photographs, it said banning social media websites was in conflict with democracy.

'It is meaningless to totally shut down social platforms - which contain billions of useful information - to the use of the Turkish people because of some unsuitable content,' the group said.

Users meanwhile were sharing information on how to get around the ban on the Internet.

Kiraz and both of his captors were killed when Turkish security forces took back the building where the far-left group was holding him. Gunshots were heard and smoke could be seen rising from the scene at the end of the six-hour stand-off.

Grief: The family of Mehmet Selim Kiraz grieve over his coffin during his funeral at Eyup Sultan Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey. He died in hospital after he was taken hostage by the far-left organisation

Gathering: Prosecutors, lawyers and judges stand near a statue of Lady Justice during the funeral ceremony

Before imposing the blocks on the websites, Turkish authorities had tried to prevent newspapers printing images taken during the siege last week.

The newspapers were accused by the government of 'spreading terrorist propaganda' in sharing the images of the hostage-taking.

BRITISH MAN ARRESTED FOR ROLE IN LAST WEEK'S HOSTAGE

A British national, of Polish origin but who has not been named, was arrested on Saturday as part of an operation against the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front, according to reports.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said this morning: 'I can confirm that a British national has been arrested in Turkey and that we are offering consular assistance.'

Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said: 'This has to do with the publishing of the prosecutor's picture. What happened in the aftermath [of the prosecutor's killing] is as grim as the incident itself.

'The demand from the prosecutor's office is that this image not be used anywhere in electronic platforms... The wife and children of prosecutor Kiraz have been deeply upset. The images are everywhere.'

After the block was lifted journalism group Turkish Press Council said that while it understands the authorities concerns over the publication of the prosecutors' photographs, banning social media sites is in conflict with democracy.

'It is meaningless to totally shut down social platforms - which contain billions of useful information -- to the use of the Turkish people because of some unsuitable content,' the group said.

Critical: Prosecutor Mehmet Selim Kiraz was taken to hospital with gunshot wounds but died of his injuries

Strength of feeling: Elvan has since become an icon for the Turkish far-left and his supporters accuse the authorities of covering up the circumstances and perpetrators of his death

Mr Kiraz, a father-of-two married to a judge who also worked at the courthouse, was targeted for his part in an investigation into the death of Berkin Elvan.

The 15-year-old was severely wounded after being hit on the head by a tear-gas canister fired by a police officer during anti-government protests in Istanbul in June 2013.

After spending 269 days in a coma, Elvan eventually died on March 11 last year. His death, and the subsequent investigation, have since become a rallying point for the country's far-left.

Last year, Turkey blocked access to YouTube and Twitter after audio recordings of a secret security meeting or tapes suggesting corruption by government officials were leaked on the social media sites. Turkey's highest court, however, overturned the bans, deeming them to be unconstitutional.

Previous moves by Turkish authorities to block the social media networks have provoked widespread criticism by Western governments and human rights organizations.

Many tech-savvy users, including former President Abdullah Gul, had found ways to circumvent the bans both on Twitter and YouTube while they were in place.